Machine for shortening springs



June 21,1927. 1,633,010

- J. A. FINDORA MACHINE jon snoRTnNING srnme's Filed Nov. 27, 1923 s sheets-sheet 1 E@ @Jg June 21,1927. 1,633,010

. 'J. A. FINDORA uAcHNE F011 v511011111111116 SPRINGS Filed Nov. 27, 1923 3 sheets-Sheet 2 FIE.Z-

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J. A. FINDORA MACHINE FOR sHoRTENING SPRINGS :s shuts-sheet 3 Filed Nov. 27, 192s Flls.

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Patented `lune 2l, 1927.

UNITED 'sTATEsPATENT OFFICE.

` JOHN A. FINnoBA, or PITTSBURGH, rENNsYLvANIAAssIGNoR To BORT PITT BBD- DINGr COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNsYLvANIA, A yooBroItATIoN or PENNSYL- VANIA.

MACHINE Fon sHoRTENING srHINGs.-

Application-filed November'?, 1923. Serial No. 677,237.

This invention relates to the manufacture of springs, and more particularly to machines for shortening the normal overall lengthof coil springs of the type known as bed-springs.

Springs of this type generally diminish in diameter' from the ends to the middle of the A spring, and at ther time they are received' from the coiling machine they are otgreater overalllength than is desired in the finished product.-

An object of this invention is to provide a machine for compressing orl shortening the overall length of springs of the above ltype without in any way injuring their resilient qualitiesn A further object isto provide a machine for this purpose which is continuous in op'- eation and may be easily operated by un# skilled labor.

. '.r machinel which has few and simplel parts and which is rugged in construction positive in operation.

lThese and other objects which will be ap parent to those skilled. in this particular art I attain by means of my invention, one embodiment of which is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawingV in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the machine shownv in Fig. 1, Fig. 3v is a vertical sectional view'of the workholder showing the compressor head in its extreme spring-compressing position, Fig. 4f

isa view in horizontal section on theline' 1 1 of Fig. 2.and Fig. 5 1s an enlarged view of the driving means forv the rotary work-holder. v

The machine illustrated includes an upright supporting member having av drive shaft 11 mounted in bearings 12 at the top thereof. At one end of the shaft is a driv ing pulley 13 driven by a belt 141 from any suitablesource of power (not shown). A`

crank arm 15 is secured to the opposite end of the shaft 11 and is connected through the medium of a connecting rod 16 with a re` ciprocable compressor head 17 .n

The compressor' head. 17 is mounted to re` ciprocate on ways 18 formed on the front of the upright supporting member 1() and it A. still further robjectv to 'provide `such and is guided in its movements by a guide bar 19 extending through a perforation 20 in the compressor head and secured to the sup-V porting member v10 by brackets 21 and 22'.

The compressor head 17 has a sleeve'23 mounted therein and a YcompressorV plate 24 having a flange 24 for centering the spring during compression is screw threaded to the -lower'part of the sleeve 23. The compres- `sor plate is providedy with a central opening -25 opening into the interior of the hollow sleeve for a purpose tobe hereinafter described.

A stub shaft 26 supports a rotary work holder which is in the form of a disk-27 havingl a flange 27 provided with equally spaced circumferential holes 27". Radially extending spring supporting fingers'28 are provided with reduced extensions'28 which fit the holes 27 ofthe Work holder in which -the fingers are secured. Spring seats 29 are clamped between the flangey 27" of the work holder and the enlarged part of vthe fingers 28. Each spring seat has a flange 29"wh1ch cooperates withthe fiange 24 on thezcompressor plate to center the springs during compression. Y v y y Thel work-holder is rotated intermittently and in synchronism with the reciprocations .ofthe compressor head through the medium of a common single tooth Geneva movement which includes a driving V gear 30 mounted on a suitable shaft 31 and provided with a drive tooth 32 adapted to intermittently rotate a gear connected to the hub of the work holder 27. The gear 33 has notches :34 for engagement with the driving tooth 3 2 and concave locking surfaces 35 adapted to cooperate with a convex locking surface 3G on the driving gear 30 during that part of the movement in which the tooth 32 is out of engagement with the notches 34.

The Greneva movement is driven from the main shaft 11 through the medium of a driving chain 37 which drives a sprocket 38 v on the shaft 31.y

A chain tightener isfprovided which comprises a small sprocket 39 in mesh with the chain 37.` rThe sprocket is supported uponA an arm 40 secured to the frame k10 by a bolt t1 about which it may be adjusted to different positions so as to vary the tension ofy the chain 37.

The effective stroke of the compressor head 17 may be varied by securing the connecting bar 16 at different i oints .on the crank arm 15. A plurality o holes 42 areprovided in the crank arm for this purpose.

` i Assuming that the drive shaft 11 is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the elongated springs received from the coilinglmachineare placed on'the fingers 28 by t le operator as each finger is presented to him. The next movement or i partial rotation. of thelvvork holder moves the finger and; the supported spring into vertical position., The compressor head 17 then descends and the springiscompressed between the supporting plate 29 and the compressor plate24 beyond its elastic limit so that upon. retraction 4of the compressor "hea-d the spring does not resume its original length but assumes a reduced or shortened overall length. During` compression of the ipringit is centered and held in proper position bythe cooperating flanges on the coniplressor plate and on the spring seat. The

nger V28 is accommodatedr by `the hollow sleeve 23 andthe hole 25, in the center of the compressor plate 24. As the Work holder isrotated further to present fresh springs to the compressor head the shortened springs drop off the fingers by gravity and in this Y l Way `unencumbered lingers arecontinually `presented to the operator for the reception of fresh springs.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A machine for compressing -ihelical Y iprings, having in combination a reciprocable compressor head, a Work-holder including a flanged disk, Work-supporting fingers projecting from the fian e thereof, and

means for intermittently 'rotating said workholder in synchronism `with the reciprocaf tions of said head for successively present-` ing springs thereto. y y

2. A machine for compressing helical springs, having in combination a recipro- Y cable compressor head, a Work-holder in-r i ai cluding a flanged disk provided with radially extending 'y work-supporting fingers,

means for intermittently rotatingl said workcable compressor` head provided with af fianged compressor plate,-a rotary work' holder including a fianged disk 'having ra# dially projecting work-supporting fin ers the base of each finger having a flange adapted to cooperate With said flanged com-A presser plate for centering the springs during compression, and means for intermittently rotating said `Work-holder to succes` sively present springs to said compressor plate.

4. In ya machine for compressing helical springs, having in combination a reciprocable compressor head, a shaft for operat-V ingsaid head, a Work-holder for positioning springs in operative relation to said hea 'ns1 Va shaft parallel to said operating shaft for supporting said Work-liolder in operative relation to said head, and mechanism for driving said shafts so as to operate said work holder iii timed relationto the reciprocations of Vsaid head. i

v5. A` machine for` compressing helical springs, having in, combination areciprocable compressor head, a Work-holder rotar y able about a horizontal axis 'and provided `with radially-projecting Work-supporting` fingers, a shaft for operating saidcompressor head, a, Geneva movement for operating said Work-holder, and means for driving said Geneva movement.' from said shaft. y

6. A machineV for compressing helical springs, having in combinationV two parallel shafts, a reciprocable compressor head adapted to be operated by onefofjsaid shafts,

a rotary Work-holder adaptedftobe inter-` mittently rotated .bythe other of said shafts i and having a plurality vof radiallyextendf ing Work-supporting fingers, and mechanism" for driving said shafts so as to rotate said Work-holder in timed relation to the reciprocations of said head. i

7. A vmachine lfor compressing helical springs, havingin combination a recipro cable conipressorhead, a Work-holder in-` cluding a disk provided with a perforated annular flange, Work supports secured in the perforations of said flange, and means for intermittently rotating saidvvorkJiolder in synchronism with the reciprocations of said head for successively presenting springs thereto.V i, i

8, A machine for compressing helical springs, having in combination a reciprocable compressor head, a work-holder including adisk provided with an annular perforated `flange, Work-supporting fingers secured inthe periorations of said .fiange so as to extend radially outward therefrom,` and means for intermittently rotating sain holder in synchronism Vwith the reciprocations of said head for successively presentino` springs thereto. i

n testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of No-` vemberg `1923. secured thereto,V aspring seat Wmoiunte at y l y ioriiiiii. FINDORA., 

